Amnesia: The Novelization
by ShaddowLugia
Summary: This is the story of Daniel as he moves through the castle. Following the storyline of the game with new elements added in, this is the story version of the horror game.
1. Scene 1: The Beginning

Author Note: I do not own Amnesia: the Dark Descent. It belongs to Frictional Games. So yeah, welcome to the first chapter of my Amnesia novelization. Of course, I'm not going to just write out the exact story from the game, but I will be adding my own elements as well. I'll be using a walkthrough of Amnesia to guide me (the walkthrough I'm using is by SanCo654 on YouTube), so I don't get off track or anything. During the story, keep in mind that some of it will be my own insights on the game, and I'll be adding stuff as well. So if you don't recognize some parts, well, that's from my own head. By the way, each chapter will be a video segment long, so about 14-15 minutes of the game at a time, just to make it easier on me (if you've read my other stories, you'll know I tend to write 1000ish word chapters). Enjoy!

Also...in case you've never played or watched a let's play or walkthrough (by the way, I recommend Tobuscus or FrozenFoxy for a LP), here are the rules of Amnesia...1) You cannot fight the monsters; run or hide from them...2) You have both health and sanity; unsettling events, monsters, and standing in darkness drain your sanity...3) There are two types of monsters: Grunts and Brutes; Brutes can kill in one hit, Grunts take two or three to kill...4) The game is called Amnesia because Daniel (the main character) has NO memory after drinking an amnesia potion; you'll get to know who Daniel is through journal entries scattered throughout the game. That's all you really need to know. :)

...

SCENE 1: THE BEGINNING

Daniel walked through the castle, feeling weakened and dizzy. Already his memory was beginning to fade.

_Don't forget. Some things mustn't be forgotten! _he thought. _The Shadow hunting me...I must hurry!_ He started fast walking, his heart racing with a multitude of mixed emotions. Fear. Anticipation. Confusion. _Maybe I should have gotten as far as I could into the castle before drinking that potion!_

Daniel shook his head with a shiver. He repeated who he was, praying he wouldn't forget. "My name is Daniel. I live in London at...at..." for a scary moment, he couldn't remember, then, "Ah, Mayfair!" The fear and madness were starting to overwhelm him. What was he _doing_? "What have I done? This is crazy!" He shook himself again, trying to remember his objective. _Don't forget, don't forget! I must stop him! Focus!_ Again, he repeated his name, so he wouldn't forget. "My name is...is...I am Daniel!"

His steps slowed and he blacked out from the effects of the potion, hearing glass shattering around him as his world went dark.

...

Daniel woke to the sound of a thunderstorm. Opening his eyes, he groggily looked around in confusion. Where was he? _Who_ was he? He was in a castle, he guessed. A hole in the ceiling was letting the rain into the hallway. Twice he tried to stand up but nearly blacked out again. Finally, on the third attempt, Daniel managed to stand. He looked around and noticed a trail of pink liquid on the stone floor of the castle.

_Maybe I should follow it,_ Daniel thought. He felt strange, mostly because his memory was missing, so having a plan (namely, following a myserious liquid through an unfamilliar castle) made him feel stronger somehow.

However...the castle he was in was undeniably creepy. It was dimly lit, with cold stone walls and floors. It was silent, too, and he wondered if a place this size (he assumed it was a large castle) should have more people, right? The shadows around him felt strangely unnatural, and he had to suppress a shudder.

He cautiously started walking and found himself in a large entrance hall of sorts, with enornous doors and suits of armor. Opposite the hall he was in was another corridor, however, it was blocked off by a large pile of boulders. Daniel steeled his nerves and walked into the large hall, following the pink substance. As he walked through, he felt a dizzy spell hit him, nearly making him black out again. He fought it and kept walking to yet another corridor, where a door seemed to open of its own accord.

Daniel gasped and whimpered with fear, nearly backing out. After a moment, he forced himself to calm down, convincing himself it was the wind.

_It must have been the wind, of course,_ he thought nervously. He opened a wardrobe and found a tinderbox. _This should be useful._ He tucked it away into a satchel he'd had over his shoulder upon waking with no memory.

It was becoming difficult for Daniel to control his breathing. He was terrified, of course. Alone in a strange and unnatural castle with no memory.

_I have to find out who I am,_ he thought. Another purpose for him in this lonely place.

Daniel went to the room whose door had blown open. It was lit, luckily, by a fireplace with a nice fire going. _Well, that fire didn't light itself,_ he pondered. _There must be someone else here!_ On a table, he found another tinderbox (_I need as many of those as I can get_, Daniel told himself) and a wine bottle. Ignoring the wine, he put the tinder in his bag and glanced around, looking for any other useful items. Finding none, he exited the room, back into the hall with the wardrobes and paintings lining the walls.

He found yet another tinderbox in a different wardrobe and decided to start collecting them. They'd certainly be welcome in the dark castle. Daniel followed the pink trail through a door which led to a tall staircase. He swallowed nervously, not liking the creaking sounds the walls were making. It was almost like the sounds of an old ship.

At the top of the stairs was a narrow hallway scantily lit with candles. Daniel let out another gasp when he heard footsteps. It sounded like someone running. Despite the fact that he wanted to find other people, he was nervous. Scared, even. What if it _wasn't _a person?

_What else could it be_? Daniel tried to scold himself but his thoughts were weak with fright. _A ghost?_

He turned a couple corners, trying not to notice how the hall got narrower and the creaking louder. He let out a cry of fear upon turning the second corner, falling to the floor. Vision blurry, he forced himself to get up.

Daniel got out of the hall, struggling to control his harsh breathing, and found himself in yet another corridor. This one was thankfully quite large and didn't creak like the previous one. Another door opened by itself. _No, it _blew_ open_, Daniel corrected himself. He headed for the first room on his right, ignoring the one that had opened for now.

This room was dark but he ventured inside and found another tinder on a shelf. The darkness made him feel anxious and terrified, so he got out of the room as soon as he'd placed the box in his satchel. Walking around an overturned wardrobe, he went to the next room on his right. However, he'd only walked a few steps into the well-lit room lined with paintings, when a gust of wind blew out all the candles!

Now scared of the dark, Daniel ran out of the room, shivering. Where was all this blasted wind coming from? Quickly checking another wardrobe and finding nothing of use, Daniel moved on.

He followed his trail into a room with another staircase. A break in the wall let in golden light. Daniel looked longingly at it before walking down the stairs to another door, which had a sign that read, "Old Archives."

Daniel took a deep breath and went through.

Daniel walked into another hall and tried to remember who he was. Still nothing came to him. All he knew was that his name was Daniel. He saw books and papers littering the ground but didn't stop to pick them up. At least the hall was lit with torches.

However, another door opened with the wind, blowing out the fires. Cursing his bad luck, Daniel moved on. He went in a room with a small staircase. Water flowed into the room, creating a puddle on the floor. There were bookcases and crates with black eagle symbols on them. _The symbol of Prussia_, Daniel thought to himself. Then he scowled. He knew the symbol of Prussia but not who he was? Damn it all!

He picked up two tinderboxes and heard hissing. Looking at the ground, he saw strange cockroach-like animals skittering on the floor. Disgusted and more than a little creeped out, Daniel left the room.

Rounding a bend in the hall, he kept following the trail and found a cluttered room with bookshelves, papers, and a desk. He heard a sound like footsteps and saw clouds of dust rise in a corner of the room, as though someone had taken two steps. He backed up, eyes wide with fright, but forced himself to keep going.

To his surprise and delight, Daniel found a lanturn on the floor. There was little oil in it at the moment, but surely he could find more. Now he had a way to light the strange darkness in the castle!

A hall outside the room led to a door which, in turn, led to another room, which shook ominously when he entered. There wasn't much of interest to Daniel (just more bookshelves, a couple fireplaces, and a dresser full of rolled-up pieces of parchment), other than a tinderbox in a wardrobe, so he moved on to another room.

This room was nearly pitch black. A desk with a container of oil and a piece of paper sat in the room. The trail ended at the desk, so Daniel strode over. He first picked up the oil and poured it into his lanturn.

He then picked up the paper and began to read...

_Daniel's Note to Self_

_19th of August, 1839_

_I wish I could ask you how much you remember. I don't know if there will be anything left after I consume this drink. Don't be afraid, Daniel. I can't tell you why, but know this: I choose to forget. Try to find comfort and strength in that fact. There is a purpose. You are my final effort to put things right. God willing, the name Alexander of Brennenburg still invokes bitter anger in you. If not, this will sound horrible. _

_Go to the inner sanctum, find Alexander, and kill him. His body is old and weak, and yours, young and strong. He will be no match for you. One last thing. A Shadow is following you. It's a living nightmare, breaking down reality. I have tried everything, and there is no way to fight back. You need to escape it as long as you can. _

_Redeem us both, Daniel. Descend into the darkness where Alexander waits, and murder him._

_Your former self, _

_Daniel_

Numb shock filled Daniel. He was to kill someone he didn't remember? Who was Alexander? What was this Shadow his former self was talking about? He had so many questions! Why had he chosen to forget? Writing a note to self and telling him to find comfort in the fact that he'd _chosen_ to forget? How was that comforting?

Forcing himself to calm down, Daniel slipped the note into his bag and looked around the room. It was so dark he pulled out his lanturn, grateful that he had a way to light his environment. Upon closely inspecting the room (there _had _to be a way out-there wasn't any other way), he found a lever. Daniel pulled it and a bookcase moved aside to reveal another hallway.

Pleased with finding it, he moved down the dark passageway to a staircase which led to an enormous room with a broken staircase. Upon entering the room, he had a slight dizzy spell and heard familiar voices in his head...

"Alexander, is it inside the castle?"

"In a manner of speaking. Come, bring the lamp. You've been to the refinery, have you not?"

"I don't believe I have. Is it connected to the...what did you call it...?"

"The Inner Sanctum, my most precious chamber, Daniel. And it lies well beyond the refinery. In fact...it lies beneath the very stone of Brennenburg..."

The voices faded. Was that a flashback? He'd heard his own voice...and Alexanders! So he must have been friends with Alexander at some point, or at least, acquaintances. So why did he want to kill him?

Shaken up by the note and bizarre flashback, he first went to a hall outside the huge room, this one much like the one he'd woken up in. He found a chest with oil and a tinderbox and put them away for later. He was glad to be in a well-lit room.

Daniel walked to the end of the hall and found double doors. Excitement filled him. Maybe it led outside, and he could get out! He tried to open the doors, but jumped back when a red, fleshy substance grew almost instantly over the door. It seemed familiar but what was it?

Heart pounding, he walked quickly away from the door and out of the hall. Was that the Shadow his former self had written of? Daniel was disappointed. He'd hoped to get out, and not have to spend any more time in this creepy castle. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to murder someone. And he certainly didn't want to come face-to-face with the mysterious Shadow again.

For now, he resigned himself to his fate of wandering Castle Brennenburg and went on, praying he would find out what was going on...and who he was...

...

Please review! I really hope you like it! If you find it boring, I apologize, but I really want to continue with this story. Anyways, look out for the next chapter and check out a walkthrough or lets play on YouTube, or go buy the game and play yourself. And if you do watch a wt or lp, watch SanCo654 (because I'm using theirs as a guide), or Tobuscus (LOVE HIM!), or FrozenFoxy.


	2. Scene 2: The Laboratory

Author Note: I do not own Amnesia: the Dark Descent. So sorry for the long wait, but I've been busy and it also takes a little while to write this story, since I'm following a video on it for accuracy. Also keep in mind that I'm writing two other stories in addition to this one (one is an Aliens/Predator story called Ember and one's a Pokemon fic I just started called Lugia's Legacy), so please bear with me. Also, I will be going to California on the 25th and will have no computer access, so there will be no updates on any stories until I get back, and when I _do_ get back from CA, I will be in school, which means updates will only happen about once a week. Sorry for that and please keep all of this in mind. Ramble aside, please enjoy!

SCENE 2: THE LABORATORY

Daniel looked around the huge room, still nervous at what he'd already expirienced so far and at what lay ahead of him. Spotting a doorway on the far side of the room, he headed that way, deciding to go through the upstairs rooms later. The doorway had stairs that led to a short hall on one side and another staircase on the other.

Deciding on the next staircase, Daniel went left and tried the door at the bottom of the stairwell. To his disappointment, it was locked. The sign above the door read "Wine Cellar" in Latin.

_That's one thing about me I just figured out_, thought Daniel dryly, heading back up the stairs. _I know Latin._

The door at the end of the short hallway was the Laboratory, as its sign said. Thankfully, this one was unlocked. Daniel walked into the Laboratory and stifled a gasp of fear. The lab was dark, and the shadows here felt even more unnatural and evil than the darkness he'd already witnessed. He was standing on a balcony of sorts, with an unstable-looking staircase made of wood. A large portion of the railing was missing from the balcony and stairs.

Daniel slowly made his way down the stairs, after much hesitation. He didn't want to go down to the lab, but felt he didn't have much choice in the matter. He prayed that the stairs wouldn't collapse on him.

In the lab, bookshelves were overturned and there was what looked like rotting apples on the ground, fouling up the air. Wrinkling his nose, Daniel glanced around. There was a hall blocked off by boulders, with a container of oil. Grateful for this find, Daniel went over and picked it up. When he did so, he felt a strange surge of fear and looked around wildly. Seeing nothing, he nervously kept looking around.

He walked to the other side of the room and found another doorway. There were more bookshelves, boxes, and rotting fruit on this side. Ignoring the shelves, Daniel went over to the doorway and found yet another staircase leading to a room. He didn't really want to find out what exactly this Laboratory was for, but, again, he told himself he had no choice and walked down the stairs.

_Stop acting like this_, Daniel thought. He tried to scold himself but his thoughts were weak with fear. He hoped he wouldn't go mad in this macabre castle. _Be a man and do what you have to do!_

The room at the end of the stairs had shelves and shelves of vials and bottles, with liquids of all different colors. There was a grate in the middle of the floor, a table with a chemstry set, and a desk in one corner of the room. There were also a few chests and boxes in a corner as well.

On the table with the chemsitry set, there was a piece of paper. Taking out his lanturn, he picked it up and read:

_Chemical Relocation_

_The lack of a chimney to properly vent the fumes from my most recent experiments had taken its toll on many of my less stable ingredients in storage. Some seem unaffected, but many are stained by the fumes and will be difficult to salvage. I shall do what I can and move them to the wine cellar. _

Daniel vaguely recognized the handwriting. It wasn't his, obviously, but someone else's. Perhaps Alexander had written this?

_So there are chemicals in the wine cellar,_ thought Daniel. He briefly skimmed the note again, then slipped it into his satchel. Wondering what use this information was and if it was even worth going into the wine cellar, Daniel looked around the room, searching for anything useful. Going over to the grate, Daniel looked down and saw...water. He looked more closely, puzzled, and saw splashes, like someone walking in the water...only _there was no one there!_

More than a little terrified, Daniel backed away and went toward the desk, heart pounding rapidly in his chest. Was this castle haunted? _No, no it can't be_, Daniel thought, though he knew that it was possible. He couldn't help trying to rationalize the situation. _You're just stressed out and you're hallucinating!_ Perhaps this was all just a hallucination. Maybe he _was _mad. Did an insane person know they were insane? Daniel didn't think so.

As he approached the desk, another dizzy spell hit him and he again heard voices. It was another flashback.

"There should be more cuprite..." said Alexander's deep voice. Daniel heard glass bottles clinking and liquids bubbling. "And one part aqua fortis."

The flashback ended, leaving Daniel to wonder what he'd just heard. Was that Alexander expiramenting? And why didn't Daniel hear his own voice?

Shaking his head, Daniel glanced at the shelves of liquids (picking up a tinderbox on a nearby shelf), then went over to the desk, even more confused after the flashback than he already was. On the desk was another note and a large glass jar. Leaving the jar alone for now (perhaps it would be useful?), Daniel picked up the paper and read...

_Early Alchemy Experiment_

_This is my third attempt to produce artificial vitae. The former components lacked the potency I need, but I sense I'm close. Calamine and Orpiment are a given, and the Cuprite bonds them well. This time I shall attempt Aqua Regia instead of Aqua Fortis in hope that it will create a more even solution. _

_The experiment was unsuccessful. The solution is highly acidic and proved impractical to any use except as a detergent. Organic tissue reacts especially violently to the solution and should be handled with the greatest care. I might be able to use the recipe but I'm losing hope that I will find an alchemic solution to my predicament._

Daniel stared at the note, written by the same person as the previous one. Yet more questions filled his head. What in the world was vitae? And the chemicals in the note...two of them he'd heard in his flashback. Somehow they and two other ingredients created an acid...that could dissolve organic tissue?

_What if...it can be used to dissolve the fleshy substance that's blocking my way?_ Daniel thought. He quickly read the letter again. He'd need Calamine...Orpiment...Cuprite...and Aqua Regia. Daniel stuffed the note unceremoniously into his bag, along with the jar. Getting out his lanturn, he started frantically combing the shelves for the chemicals he'd need.

How long he spent searching, he didn't know. But after reading every bottle on every shelf, it was apparent the components he needed weren't here. Disappointment filled Daniel.

Running a hand through his dark hair, he thought,_ They must have been moved to the wine cellar. But the damned door is locked! _Sighing, he realized he'd have to find the key. Except that he had no idea where to begin and the castle was huge! It could be anywhere!

_Then I'd better get started,_ thought Daniel.

Thinking that perhaps the key was in one of the rooms upstairs in the entrance hall, Daniel walked out of the Laboratory, glad to be leaving the place. He hated the lab, but somehow knew he'd have to return-he'd probably need the chemistry set to make the acid he needed.

Walking back to the staircase just outside the door, Daniel heard a womans voice cry out, "No! Get away from me!"

Daniel jumped in surprise. Was that voice just in his head? A figment of his imagination? Or was there really someone else here? Shaking himself, hoping there really was someone else here, Daniel went back into the large hall and walked up the stairs that led up to the rooms he hadn't explored.

The entrance hall wasn't as creepy as the rest of the castle, but it wasn't nice-looking either, Daniel thought as he looked around from the balcony. The other staircase that led up to the balcony he was on was destroyed. The stone it was made of was strewn all across the room, like it had exploded or something. A strange-looking fountain sat on one side of the room, across from where he was standing. Daniel's stomach clenched with nausea when he saw what appeared to be a body in the fountain. Shuddering, trying not to vomit, Daniel turned his attention to the doors on the balcony. One was boarded up and one was an open doorway blocked, like so many others, by large rocks. Hoping to find a way out of the entrance hall, Daniel kept walking until he entered a hall that led to a door whose sign read "Archives." Unsure of what to expect, Daniel walked through it.

The hall he entered was pleasant enough, by the standards of this castle. The walls and floor weren't cold stone, and it was lit, at least. There was a door that had been ripped off its hinges and lay in the hall, though. That alone made Daniel rather nervous.

Steeling his nerves, Daniel looked into the room, ready to run, but thankfully, there was no one there. Spotting another note on the table in the room, he walked toward it and picked it up. It said:

_16th of May, 1839_

_The unflinching African sun has continued to plague our expedition, making it impossible to dig until dusk. How Professor Herbert managed to find the location in these vast plains of nothingness remains a mystery to me. When I asked him about the tomb again, he told me about the legend of Tin Hinan, "the mother of us all." An interesting story in its own right, but I can't help feeling there's more._

_Later that evening, we uncovered a passage beneath the dunes leading to a sand-covered stone structure. The professor was confident it was the tomb we sought, and ordered the others to clear the way-late into the dark, cold night._

_Tomorrow, I shall lead the men into the ancient structure, hoping to reach the burial chamber. No matter what the professor is keeping from me, the dig should yield something interesting to take back to London, and the British museum._

The handwriting Daniel recognized as his own. He wondered what exactly he had been looking for. He was an archeologist, obviously. And he'd been looking for something in Africa. But did it relate to his being here in the castle?

He would have to find out.

...

Sorry but I'm not going to write the rest of the video in this chapter. I'm going to stop right here. Hopefully it's long enough for right now. I'm 5:44 into the video. Not 14-15 minutes at all but I need to break it up. Review, and tell me if it's okay to do about five minutes at a time rather than 15. It'll be easier for me and you'll probably get updates sooner if the chapters are shorter than 15 minutes long (not that it takes only 15 minutes to write)...Please review!


	3. Scene 3: The Relic

Author Note: I do not own Amnesia: the Dark Descent. Thanks for reading Amnesia: the Novelization, and thanks for your patience with the updates. And I've got good news: I've signed on as a Betareader, so feel free to come to me for help on your stories. I'll read just about anything, but am best with Aliens/Predator stories. Anyways, enjoy!

**SCENE 3: The Relic**

After putting the journal entry into his satchel, Daniel looked around the room for anything useful. The key to the wine cellar, for one thing, was a priority. Seeing a dresser in one corner of the room, he went over and looked through its drawers. Top drawer, nothing. Middle, barren. And to his great disappointment, the bottom was empty as well. Oh, well. He'd known from the beginning that finding a single key in the large castle was easier said than done. At least this part of the castle wasn't as creepy as the others. Still, Daniel somehow knew better than to let himself relax.

He quickly glanced at the bookshelves lining one wall before heading out. He saw that the rest of the corridor was darker than he'd hoped. Foregoing the darkness of the hallway, he went to the room across the hall and opened its squeaky door. The room, he found, was as dark as the corridor, much to his displeasure.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped inside. There was another door leading out of the room, this one wide open. Underneath a window that let a thin stream of light was a desk with candles and stacks of paper. Like most of the rooms in the castle, this one also had bookshelves. Why there had to be shelves in every room Daniel didn't know.

Daniel took out his lanturn and looked in the desk's drawers. The top drawer had a tinderbox, but there was nothing else of use to him in the desk. Walking to one of the bookshelves, Daniel scanned its shelves. A paper caught his attention. Picking it up, he read it:

_Wilhelm's Contract_

_I hereby offer my full attention and services to Alexander, baron of Brennenburg. This contract will reign for a total of 3 years when my freedom shall return to me. In addition Alexander, baron of Brennenburg, is to recommend me services at the Prussian royal court adn within the sanctum of the Order of the Black Eagle._

_May no man break this seal._

_Wilhelm, house of Gerich_

Interesting but irrelevant. This Wilhelm apparently knew Alexander, like Daniel. Perhaps Daniel knew him? Somehow, he doubted it. Despite the contract's obvious uselessness, Daniel tucked it away for safekeeping.

He searched the rest of the room, and, finding nothing (and getting increasingly frusterated), Daniel left. He chose not to go through the door he came from; instead, he opted to exit through the other. The corridor he entered was dark, just like the other. There was a window letting in sunlight, which had a table and chair next to it, but the light didn't penetrate the darkness of the hall. Daniel shivered and walked to a room across from the one he'd just left.

Another dark room with tables and bookshelves. Seeing a desk with a piece of paper on it, Daniel went to read it, hoping for another note or journal entry written by himself.

He was not disappointed:

_17th of May, 1839_

_My hands tremble as I write. I feel a need to document my tribulation, for I fear my memory will fail me if I linger. Today, I took some men and ventured into the dark ancient passage we uncovered. Our torches burned faintly in the murky air as we slowly made our way underground. The men were superstitious and fearful. They argued loudly and I felt their strange language getting to me. I mustered my strength and yelled at them to continue down the slopes and broken steps._

_The crudely carved passage confused me. It looked much older than the 4th century structure we had expected. The twisting path emerged into a great ante chamber. The walls were lined with statues unlike any I'd ever seen. Despite their unearthly quality, I felt a strange familiarity toward them, which haunts me still. At the far end of the chamber, a great slab of stone sealed off whatever lay ahead. I gave the order to raise it, and as I pushed through the narrow space, the heavy stone suddenly dropped, sealing me inside._

_I was trapped. _

Daniel stared at the journal entry in shock. The story was chilling; he'd been trapped in some old ruins? How had he escaped? Daniel put the paper carefully in his satchel. He hoped to piece together the rest of the story, and find out if this trip to Africa was related somehow to his being here in the castle. He found yet another tinderbox, but nothing else of value to him in the room, so Daniel decided to continue his search elsewhere.

He exited from the door he had not come through to get into the room, and found himself in another dark hallway.

_This castle is full of dark rooms and halls,_ he thought, walking down it. _There's no end to this! And all these questions I have are driving me mad!_

Taking out his lanturn to illuminate the room, Daniel saw a chair and a round table in the hall, along with a bookshelf (like every other room in the castle; Daniel found they were starting to annoy him for some reason he couldn't explain).

Daniel went into another room, losing hope that he'd find _anything_ of real use to him. As he entered, he thought he heard heavy footsteps behind him. Daniel felt a flash of fear and blacked out briefly. When he awoke, he heard...piano music. The music faded soon enough, but it left Daniel with a sick feeling. Shaking, unable to see in the inky blackness of the room, he left, pulling out his lanturn as he did, and searched a dresser just outside the room.

He found nothing yet again and went to try another door, only to find that it was locked.

Daniel continued down the hall and came to an enormous room, bigger than any of the rooms he'd seen so far. It also wasn't nearly as dark as the others. As he entered, he saw a piano, which abruptly closed. At the same moment, he heard a strange growl coming from one side of the room. Daniel looked around wildly, wondering what it could possibly be. Terrified of whatever had made the growl (a monster?), he turned off his lanturn and ran to the hallway he'd just came out of.

He stood there for a moment, panting with fright, before he convinced himself (not entirely, however), that he was hearing things. Daniel plucked up his courage and went back into the room. Looking around, he saw a doorway and headed for it, still on the lookout for any possible monsters (though he sternly told himself there was no such thing).

As he passed by a large window, he heard a strange noise, one he'd heard before. He was unable to identify it, and for some reason, he thought he didn't want to know where it was coming from. Shaking his head, he continued on his way.

The room he entered through the open doorway was dim, with a pile of rocks that reached the ceiling. In one corner was a table with some chairs and another piano. To his delight, there was a container of oil on the table. Stowing it away for use later, he walked through the dark room. Around the corner, he saw two doorways. He was just about to enter the room on the left when there was a tremendous crashing that sounded for all the world like the castle was coming apart. The force of it shook the entire room, if not the whole area.

Daniel crouched in the doorway until it stopped, then, heart pounding, went to investigate. Part of the castle _had_ indeed collapsed. Rock and rubble now blocked off the doorway to the room, sealing Daniel inside. And the room he'd been about to enter hadn't had any doors.

_Well, then. You'll just have to find another way out_, said Daniel.

He had no idea how he was to go about doing that but he had to steel his courage. He went back to the room to look through it. There was another rock pile in the room, along with an easle, more bookshelves, and a desk. He went over to the desk and picked up a piece of paper lying on it.

Daniel immediately felt dizzy. He looked around the room, which appeared to be tilting crazily. He then collapsed on the ground. He blacked out, but strangely, he had a vision as he did. He knew exactly what the journal entry said, though he hadn't read it yet. He had written:

_17th of May, 1839_

_After pounding the unforgiving stone wall for what seemed like an eternity, I realized it was hopeless. I was trapped. I fell to the ground, gasping for air, trying to focus. That's when I saw a faint blue shimmer. My weakend body was heavy to carry, but I managed to push mself toward the enchanting light. It was waiting for me. Enclosed in dark nothingness, I felt myself drawn to the mystic light. I reached out, closing it in my hands._

_The faint glow escaped my fingers and began to spark brightly and spirit me away. Unlocking alien memories of spiraling towers, endless deserts, and impossible geometry. _

_The next thing I can remember is the grating sound of stone being lifted. The voices of the Arabs pulling me to safety. And grasped firmly in my hands was the broken pieces of a most peculiar relic. _

Daniel saw the light in his mind, saw himself walking towards it, reaching out for it. He slowly came to, clutching the paper in his fist. Smoothing it out and folding it, he tucked it away. It may have been his imagination, but he saw small orbs of light, akin to the glowing of fireflies, around him, and he again heard the piano playing.

Swallowing hard, he looked around and wondered: What was that relic?

...

Please review! Hope you liked! :D


	4. Scene 4: Superstition and Folklore

Author Note: I do not own Amnesia: the Dark Descent. Thanks for reading and reviewing Amnesia: the Novelization. As you already know, on Wednesday I will be going to California so this is the last update you'll get until I get back from Long Beach. Sorry for that but it's vacation time! :D And I'll need one, seeing as how I'm going to be busy this school year. Anyways, enjoy!

**Scene 4: Superstition and Folklore**

Daniel was shaken by the experience of the flashback but knew he had to continue searching for anything useful and especially the key to the wine cellar. He looked in the desk drawers and found nothing but a tinderbox and an old book. Ignoring the moldy book, he put the tinder in his satchel and glanced around the room. He saw a huge pile of boulders, easels with maps on them, and a knocked-over wardrobe. And, of course, bookshelves. Nothing of real use to Daniel.

Daniel headed to the room across the hall, hoping to see another way out of the area he was in. He instead found a room with shelves of rolled-up papers he assumed were maps, along with a lot of books.

Upon walking between two shelves of maps, Daniel again heard voices, accompanied by the sound of papers:

"Much of the castle is old and hasn't been tended to for centuries. When the Shadow arrives, it won't take long until things start falling apart," said Alexander's voice.

Daniel said, "We're just buying time anyway. Let's do what we can."

"There isn't much to be done about the wards," said Alexander. "We should reinforce weak structures. The ground will tremble and there is a good chance everything will cave in on us—especially downstairs. Here…here…and here. Let's get the servants working on it."

The flashback ended. Daniel now knew why that ceiling had collapsed on him—the castle was old and weak. He suddenly felt even less safe wandering Brennenburg. And Alexander had mentioned servants. Other people lived here, didn't they? So why did Daniel see no one around? Had the castle been deserted?

Daniel shook his head and studied the maps on an easel in front of him. They were, he realized, both of parts of the castle. One was labeled "Western Hall", the other, "East Wing." They were vaguely familiar to Daniel, so he supposed he must have seen them before he lost his memory.

He walked around the room, searching for the blasted wine cellar key (or anything else he could possibly use). He found two tinderboxes and a thing of lantern oil (a good find, especially in this dark place) in a chest behind a shelf, but nothing else of use. He was getting used to the real uselessness of the items he saw, but was also getting increasingly frustrated. Wasn't there anything in the castle besides books and papers?

Daniel wasn't surprised he could hear the mysterious piano music again. He feared he must be losing his mind. Not that that was very surprising. He was alone in a dark castle with a Shadow following him, he'd lost his memory, and he was supposed to kill Alexander of Brennenburg. How could he not be going crazy?

Unless he was already mad. He supposed all this could be in his head. But he was fairly sure a madman didn't know he was insane, so he didn't think he was.

He wandered the area he was trapped in for a bit, until he spotted a small hole in the wall, with a room behind it. Excited by this find, he tried to pull out bricks to make the hole wide enough for him to squeeze through. Despite its fragility, he was disappointed to find that he couldn't break it by hand.

He walked into the room in which he'd found out about the relic—the strange orb—and grabbed a rock from the boulder pile. Returning to the hall, he stood back and threw the stone with all his strength. To his delight, the wall around the hole crumbled, leaving a break in the wall big enough for him to walk through.

Daniel found himself in a small library. He'd only walked a couple steps when he again heard Alexander's voice in his head:

"You have to be swift. When you activate the first one…you hear that?" These words were accompanied by the sound of ticking, like a clock, but louder. "If it stops, you'll have to start over."

"Isn't all this a bit excessive?" Daniel demanded.

"You can never be too careful, Daniel."

Daniel wondered what exactly Alexander had meant. He looked around the room and somehow knew that there was a type of puzzle he had to solve to get out of this room. But what was he supposed to do?

He wandered the room for a bit, looking at the books on the shelves. He made sure to light the candles in the room so he could see. Daniel felt a faint breeze coming from behind one of the shelves, along with dim light. He knew it must be the way out. The shelf refused to budge when he tried to move it, however. With a sigh, he realized he needed to solve the puzzle to get out.

Again Daniel scanned the shelves. He found a container of oil, but no answer.

As he was walking, he saw a glass case with a sheet of paper in it. Interested, he broke the glass with a book and picked it up. It read:

_Local Folklore_

_Altstadt and Brennenburg Castle 1801_

_Another region rich in lore is Altstadt, deep within the East Prussian woods. For centuries there have been stories surrounding the hamlet and its neighbor, castle Brennenburg. The quiet forest-clad mountains dressed with scattered lakes as picturesque as can be, albeit the area is haunted by the dark. Ask any local and you will hear proof of the widespread superstition. All travelers indulge themselves in such conversation as it will certainly serve as exciting entertainment. All of them have their own twists on the tales but there are some motifs that keep reappearing._

_The Gatherers_

_This story reaches all the way back to the time of the Thirty Years' War. It is said that soldiers who abandoned their duty got lost in the cold, dark woods and were forever damned to roam the grounds. Their bodies wrought by their tainted souls have left them disfigured and emptied of essence. Many have sighted them over the years and describe them as horrid revenants. They move silently through the woods, shying away from any beholder. They are called Gatherers, as they seem to follow ambition to steal living creatures. It is their prey that can be heard struggling inside damp burlap sacks dragged behind them which reveal their presence. What dark scheme do they follow?_

_A Visit Undone_

_Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, the well-known erudite, visited Altstadt at the start of the 16__th__ century. He resided in the local inn for a fortnight as he looked for remnants of kingdoms past. During his stay all prominent members of society paid notice and he is mentioned in many records of the time. one day he went to investigate a burrow in the northwestern glades only to never be seen again. Heinrich is known to have passed away in Grenoble some ten years later. He dismissed the notion of ever visiting Altstadt, which makes you wonder what really happened. Who was the mysterious man who visited the sleepy hamlet in the woods and what happened to him?_

_The Immortal Baron_

_The baron of Brennenburg lives a reclusive life with his family at his castle nearby Altstadt and like most of noble birth, rumors are invented alongside with his title. Researching the history reveals little before the castle was consumed by a fire in the late 16__th__ century. It was rebuilt by Alexander, from the Rhinelands claiming to be the protector of the Prussian State. Alexander helped the region to flourish and remained popular throughout his presumed lifetime. The family has always been secretive when it comes to lineage and heritage therefore the birth and death of Alexander and his offspring has never been fully recorded. This has fed the idea that the baron is in fact one and the same who came over from the west over three hundred years ago, lived through the time of occupation, and joined the coveted Order of the Black Eagle along with the great leaders of this country._

Daniel read the folklore memo with interest. Normally, he'd have scoffed at the idea of someone being immortal, or of strange monsters lurking in the dark. But somehow…he wondered if they were, in fact, true. Was Alexander immortal or what it really just a story?

He wondered…

…

Please review! Hope you found this chapter interesting (I did—especially with the superstition stories at the end). See you all when I get back!


	5. Scene 5: The Key

Author Note: As Tobuscus would say..."Hello, once again, audience!" Or, readers, I suppose in this case. Aaaanyways, I'm so sorry for the freaking long wait for a new chapter, but between going to California for a month, starting school and being busy and tired all the time...I just haven't had much time (or, admittedly, _motivation_, because I'm always tired now) to write. But as they say, "Better late than never", right? So now that I'm back (and a year older, by the way-I'm 17 now!), let's get this show...uh...story...on the road! Enjoy! :D

SCENE 5: The Key

Daniel looked around the room and searched the bookshelves, trying to figure out what exactly he was supposed to be doing to get out of the room he was in. As he scanned the shelves, he did a double take as, for some reason, a white book with an ornate spine stood out to him. It looked vaguely familiar, and he supposed he must have seen it before he lost his memory. He tried pulling it off the shelf, but the book came out only halfway, and the ticking sound he'd heard in his "flashback" started.

_It must be part of the locking mechanism! _Daniel realized. _There must be books the look like this, and they are keys to getting out!_

Excited by this discovery, he moved swiftly through the room. Once he found a book exactly like the one he'd just pulled, he took that out as well, doubling the amount of ticking in the room. He was right about the books, it seemed. After locating a third book and activating it, the clicking sound stopped and he heard something heavy being dragged on the floor. Which, he found, was the bookshelf being moved, revealing a hidden passageway.

Going through his escape route, he saw another study room, with a desk and yet more shelves of books, as well as paintings on the wall.

He glanced around, somewhat disappointed, but his heart leapt in his chest when he spotted a key on the desk. Daniel went over and snatched it off the desk, instinctively knowing that it was the Wine Cellar key he so badly needed.

As soon as he picked up the key, he heard something slam into the locked room in the small library he'd just left. It sounded to him like someone-or _something_-trying to break down the door. He let out a gasp of fright. He fought to keep his breathing under control as he stood, waiting for another bang on the door.

He heard nothing.

Still shaken, he searched the drawers, finding a paper in the top one. He was about to disregard it when he saw the words "wine cellar" on the top. He picked it up and read:

_Regarding Closing of the Wine Cellar_

_Wilhelm and his fools have endangered my research long enough with their absentminded handling of the human vessels. The sheriff is keeping a watchful eye on the forest and is killing my trusty servants. It's just a matter of time until they follow the trail to Brennenburg. I need to lock Wilhelm and his men up to aviod further investigation from the public. The wine cellar will therefore be sealed off until the matter has been handled. Either the king's men leave or they will starve. Whatever comes first-they can rot for all I care._

_Maybe I will feed them some wine; it would in a sense solve both of my problems._

Daniel tucked the note away, confused. The wine cellar was locked to keep Wilhelm and his men imprisoned? Then another thought hit him, this one filling him with hope:_ Are they still there in the wine cellar? If they are, maybe they know some way to get out of the castle! Perhaps they even know me, and can tell me who I am!_

But still...what was it that Alexander, for he was sure he'd wrote this, wanted to cover up? What did he want to stay hidden from the authorites? And what did he mean by the wine solving both of his problems?

_I'm sure I'll figure it out once I get to the wine cellar_, decided Daniel.

He searched the room out of habit but found nothing of interest or use. Going out of the room, he looked in the library and saw an open doorway he hadn't noticed before. It led him into yet another dark hallway, with two rooms at the end of it. One was a shadowy study with the usual desk and shelves. The other wouldn't open, and he couldn't tell if the door was jammed shut or locked.

He went back to the library's open doorway and went the opposite way away from it, heading towards the enormous room he'd been in before.

Daniel was just about to enter the room when he heard a choking growl. Stifling a cry, he shut his lanturn off and backed into the hallway, peeking out from the doorway at the room. There was a sense of danger he couldn't explain, and he felt jittery. After a few moments, he cautiously entered the room and walked to the right and entered the hall at the far end of the room, where he'd been previously. He heard the strange higher pitched roar-growl he'd heard before. The haunting sound stopped him in his tracks momentarily, but he pressed forward, steeling his courage.

A moment later, he heard the snarl he'd heard when something slammed on the door. And it was close. He walked swiftly away, hoping it was his imagination. To make matters worse, he swore he heard more piano music. Was he going insane?

He waited for a moment then slipped into the room on the right down the hall. Looking around, he realized he'd been there already and backtracked into the hall. Daniel went to another room he'd visited already and glanced around, then went through the other door, the one he hadn't come through.

He kept walking until he saw the door to the entrance hall. Excitement filled him. Now he could finally go into the wine cellar!

To his horror, as soon as he entered the hall leading to the entrance hall, the thick red fleshy substance of the mysterious Shadow grew on the walls and ceiling. Trying to best his fear, he walked past...and the fleshy creature lashed out and attacked him, prompting him to run into the room, heart pounding. He glanced at his side, where he'd been hit. To his surprise, there wasn't a serious wound there, though it hurt badly.

Shrugging it off as best he could, and shivering from the strange animal call he heard (a bird, maybe?), he walked all the way to the other side of the balcony, down the stairs, then to the staircase which led him to the wine cellar door.

He pulled out his lanturn once he reached said door and took the key from his satchel. He took a deep breath and fit the key in the lock, entering the wine cellar. He didn't know what he'd find in this room, but whatever it was, he hoped it held answers.

...

Please review! Just so I know where we've left off on this little adventure (and so you'll know, if you want to watch the videos as well as read the story), we're at 9:42 on Part 3 of SanCo645's Amnesia: the Dark Descent walkthrough.

Question: What is your favorite part of the game and why?

My Answer: The water part. No matter how many times I watch it, it's still freaking intense!

Leave your answer in a review!

Another Question, prompted by an amazing review left by BJPwn (by the way, you seriously made my day, dude!), which read "I legitimately think that this should be sold as the actual novelisation. Have you ever thought about contacting the developers with this? I know I'd pay to read your stuff!" My question is, what do you guys think, and be completely honest, here. Do you think that when I'm done writing this story, I should sell it to Frictional Games as the official novelization? Tell me! :D


	6. Scene 6: The Wine Cellar

Author Note: I do not own Amnesia: the Dark Descent. Peoples, I am SO sorry I haven't updated in like forever. I just...haven't been motivated to write as of late because (I don't know why) I've been tired pretty much every day since school started and I kept forgetting. But I sincerely hope you'll bear with me and I will try to update once a week. Also keep in mind that I do have more than one story going at the same time (three right now, a sequel I'm about to start, and two more on the way...), so please be patient. Anyways, enjoy!

...

Scene 6: The Wine Cellar

...

Daniel found himself on a wooden balcony above a gloomy (dark, of course) room. He looked around and saw a staircase leading down into the wine cellar below him and a few crates. A couple windows let dim light into the room, but somehow it only added to the creepiness-the light was gray and misty. Daniel cautiously made his way down the stairs, but he'd only gone halfway when he felt another surge of inexplicable fear grip him.

As he got to the bottom of the stairs, he heard more voices. Daniel was expiriencing yet another flashback...

"Where did the baron go?" said one, unfamiliar voice.

In the "background" was the sounds of bottles clinking.

"Who cares?" crowed another voice. He left us enough wine to last us a lifetime! Or at least until tomorrow!"

The voices were slurred and accompanied by rough, loud laughing. It was exceedlingly obvious that the speakers were drunk.

As suddenly as it began, the "flashback" ended. Daniel blinked and wondered what he'd just heard. Who were the men talking? And, more importantly, what was the significance of the flashback. With a sigh, he decided to simply add it to the growing list of mysteries on his hands. Who knew if he'd ever figure everything out? He had enough to worry about without asking what a couple of drunks were doing in the castle.

Daniel ventured farther into the cellar, growing increasingly uneasy about the darkness. He suspected that before coming here, he hadn't been afraid of the dark. But there was something...supernatural about this darkness. It just wasn't normal. It made him feel as though it would drain his sanity until he was completely mad with fear. It almost appeared to be alive...

_Now you're being ridiculous_, thought Daniel. Still, he couldn't shake off the dread and terror the darkness invoked in him.

Taking a deep breath, Daniel went over to a nearby door (pausing to refill his lanturn with some oil) and stepped inside the room. There was a table in the middle of the room with a few chairs around it. A candle and some ink were sitting on it. There were, of course, the shelves that seemed to be in just about every room Daniel went in. Crates and boxes sat on the floor and shelves. An overturned table was on the right side of the room, with two more tables in a corner. Above one was a tool wall of sorts.

For the sake of conserving oil, Daniel lit the candle on the middle table and shut the lanturn off. To his dismay, the candle did nearly nothing to light the room. He looked around and found a tinderbox, which he stuffed in his satchel without interest. He examined the tools on the wall but decided nothing was of real use to him, and anyway, he didn't want to carry a heavy satchel full of tools.

Daniel was wandering the room when he heard what sounded like heavy footsteps above him. He froze with fright. The footsteps sounded like whomever was making them was wearing big, heavy boots.

After a long, agonizing moment, Daniel stepped out of the room and headed for the one next to it.

As soon as he entered, he heard screams and yells of agony, accompanied by what sounded like someone pounding on a door or tabletop. It wasn't the same as one of his flashbacks but it terrified him more than the voices in his head. It was as though there were men being tortured right beside him...

Daniel forced himself to take several deep breaths, trying to remain calm. His heart was hammering inside his chest, feeling as though it was trying to burst its way out of his ribcage. Daniel realized he was shaking.

_Keep going_, he advised himself. _Just keep going and try to relax_.

Relaxation was proving impossible. The screams of the men (screams which, he realized, sounded eerily similar to the voices of the intoxicated men...) still rang in his ears, and the darkness of the room wasn't helping matters.

Daniel walked over to a door in the room and went through it, lighting his lanturn as he did so. The light helped calm him somewhat and he looked around, taking in his surroundings. The room had a few barrels and a small table. There was a trail of a substance he couldn't identify, and didn't want to. It squished unpleasantly beneath his feet when he stepped on it. He ventured farther into the room and had another flashback...

"What's happening?" said the voice of one of the drunks. "It feels like my chest is going to burst!"

He was clearly in pain and distressed. Daniel heard a disgusting sound, like flesh being ripped and squashed.

"My God. Wilhelm, do something!" another man shouted.

"Accept it," came another voice. This one was strangely calm, especially considering the panic of the first two speakers. "We're not getting out of here alive."

"How can you say that?" yelled a man. "Alexander, you piece of shit! Let us out of here!"

Daniel heard the man cough roughly and the flashback ended.

Daniel was shivering. Goosebumps prickled his arms and the hair on the back of his neck rose. What had happened to those men? And Wilhelm, the one mentioned in the papers he'd found...was he dead? It seemed so. But how had they died? Alexander may have had something to do with the deaths of these men. Was this what he meant by he needed to lock them up? And did the wine have something to do with their deaths, as Alexander seemed to imply?

The men clearly weren't as insignificant as he'd originally thought. They were apparently part of this mystery. Daniel found he was disappointed by the fact that they were dead. He'd been hoping to actually see another person in this forsaken place.

_There's nothing you can do about it. Just keep going_.

Daniel explored the room but found nothing of use. He was getting increasingly frusterated. The only thing stronger than his irritation was his fear at this point. He looked inside a wardrobe but found nothing. Looking at a desk, he saw a sheet of paper lying on it, next to a green bottle. Ignoring the bottle for now, he picked up the paper and read:

_Wilhelm's Last Words_

_My name is Wilhelm, house of Gerich. These are my final words, my confession and testament. Two years ago I was summoned to the castle Brennenburg. As most of the arisocracy, I was curious about what this supposed knight of the Order could want from me and accepted the invitation. The baron was friendly and offered me a proposation. _

_It dawned on me that the nature of the contract was sordid and that the reason I was chosen was because of the follies of my past and not the honors I've been rewarded with during my time as a soldier. I was to kidnap healthy humans upon his slightest whim and do so without asking questions. In return he would attest to my character at the royal court, advancing my position within noble society. I would like to claim that I struggled with my decision, but it came swiftly and I accepted wholeheartedly._

_Even since that day I've brought men, women, and children to Brennenburg. I can't remember the numbers, but there were many, perhaps even a hundred. None of them were ever seen or heard from again. _

_Tonight the baton invited me and my men down to teh wine cellar to celebrate our work. I had my suspiciouns as we descended the stairs but he insisted and joined us in a toast. The wine tasted fine and my men drank without restraint. _

_So begins the punishment for our sins. The baron has locked us up and returned upstairs. Forgive me for what I have done. I was weak and fell into his diabolical ways. My men are screaming, their skin has been pierced by their own tangled bones. I feel my insides revolt against ther God given natures. Blood has begun to pour from my eyes and I can no longer..._

The words ended there. Daniel was gripping the paper so hard, he was crumpling it. He swallowed hard against the nausea rising in him, feeling as though he was going to vomit. Fighting the urge, he stowed the paper away in his satchel. Alexander _had_ somehow killed them with wine. But what kind of poison made a person's bones become tangled and their eyes bleed?

Daniel took several deep breaths to try and calm himself and went back to looking around. Finding nothing, he went back out to the main room of the wine cellar with the staircase. So far, he'd found nothing but the deaths of Wilhelm and his men down here. But that was of no use. He needed the ingredients for the acid. But where could they be?

Yet another mystery Daniel had to solve.

...

Please review! Again, sorry for the delay. And just so we're all on the same page, I've stopped at 14:20 on Part 3 of the video. Right at the very end but whatever. It's a good place to stop.

Question: Favorite Amnesia monster?

My Answer: The water monster. You can't see it (well, I've seen the original design for it) and it eats raw meat and bones and will kill you if you get in its water. Pretty interesting idea for a monster. And the water part is my favorite.

Leave your reply in a review! :D


	7. Scene 7: Cuprite and Orpiment

Author Note: Don't own Amnesia: the Dark Descent. Sorry for the super long wait. But now that it's summer I'll have more time to update. I will be going to California though, and won't be able to update during that time. But anyway, enjoy!

...

Scene 7: Cuprite and Orpiment

...

Still shaken by learning of the gruesome murder of the men, Daniel left the room, fighting back waves of nausea and horror. It was starting to sink in that he was most likely the only person in the entire castle, except for Alexander. And Daniel was sure he didn't want to meet him. What kind of man killed people like that, or had the power to kill so horribly with only wine?

_No, don't think about it_, Daniel thought. _I have to keep going, and I can't afford to lose it. _

It didn't help much (his inner pep talks weren't exactly making him feel any better) but he knew he was right. He had to keep going.

Daniel walked out into the room with the staircase and went across it to another doorway. Something on the wall caught his eye. Lifting the lanturn to it, he saw a kind of map of the cellar carved onto wood hanging on the wall. At least, Daniel thought it was a map. It certainly looked like the layout of the wine cellar. He studied it for a moment, then went for the room next to it. Inside was a table with a hammer, some kind of glowing green substance staining the wood, and a bottle. He lit the candle on the table, then picked up the bottle. The label said "Cuprite". Relief filled Daniel. He was glad to have found something useful at last, one of the ingredients for the acid he needed. Now he just had to find Calamine, Orpiment, and Aqua Regia. He carefully stowed the bottle of Cuprite in his satchel, filled with new hope.

As he turned around, however, his fear immediately returned. He heard a growl and the door closed on its own. Daniel immediately ran for the corner, fighting once again to control his breathing. He heard heavy footsteps above him, which only made his heart hammer even more.

Steeling his nerves, he headed for the door and slowly opened it a bit, trying to control his shaking hands. Daniel looked through into the main room with the staircase but saw nothing. He glanced around the room he was in, seeing nothing but barrels, the table, and a rack holding several tools on the wall next to it. Taking a deep breath, Daniel opened the door all the way and walked out into the main room, then hurried beneath the staircase. Seeing another door, he tried to open it, but it wouldn't budge. Fighting the urge to curse with fear and irritation, he abandoned the locked door and went across the room to a corner with a pile of boxes. He heard more noises and, already nervous, started and went toward a different door.

This one was unlocked and led to a long room with several shelves, foggy light, and boxes laying out on the floor in random positions. He heard what sounded like items being thrown on the floor above him. Daniel instinctively looked up and half ran into the right side of the room, which, he realized was more of a short hallway than a long room. It opened up into a fairly large room with a winerack on one wall, and the usual shelves and crates. He quickly scanned one of the shelves and the winerack but they were both empty. Another shelf held only a tinderbox, which he stowed away for later use. Aside from that, the room contained only the stacks of boxes.

Daniel was feeling anxious, as though he was being watched. He couldn't quite understand why he was getting steadily more nervous just being in this room. Of course, he _had_ been hearing strange noises...

Daniel walked back into the hallway, lanturn off to conserve precious oil, and went to the left side of the hall. He got to the end of the hall and found a Laudanum on a shelf when he heard a loud growl. He saw a vaguely humanoid shape in the foggy light further down the hall but his desire to see another being vanished. He certainly didn't want to meet a _monster_. He might not completely believe in monsters, but anything that made a sound like that was something he didn't want to meet!

Daniel quickly ducked behind the shelf and crouched there, praying the strange creature wouldn't see him.

His breathing was growing ragged with terror, but he made himself stand up and walk down the hall. He had to face his fear, instead of let it control him. To his surprise, there was no one (or no_thing_) there. But he could have sworn he saw something...

_I must be going mad_, Daniel thought. He tried to shake off his unease, but it was proving nearly impossible to do. _It's fine. The lighting down here is terrible, and you're petrified. You're just seeing things, that's all._ Eager to calm himself, he lit his lanturn briefly to prove there was nothing there then went back to the large room at the end of the right side of the hallway. He paused for a moment at an open doorway in the corner of the room, then cautiously went through it, his breathing still harsh from his earlier scare. He lit his lanturn and saw in the new room shelves and shelves full of bottles. This room actually appeared to be three adjoining rooms. Ignoring the first part of it, he went to the larger section of it, which contained even more shelves and bottles. He scanned the shelves but they appeared to only contain wine. Walking into the third part of the room, he turned off his lanturn and stood there for a moment, trying to control his breathing. He was glancing around when he saw something that caught his eye: a bottle similar to the Cuprite bottle. Fear turned to excitement and he quickly picked it up. The label on this bottle said, "Orpiment".

His heart leapt with excitement. He now had half of the ingredients he needed to create the acid! He double-checked in the paper he'd picked up which described the acid. Yes, there were four ingredients, two of which he had. Daniel put away the Orpiment next to the Cuprite in his satchel. Daniel was beginning to feel real hope that he could make it. He was halfway to his goal, which made him feel much better despite the terror raging through his mind.

_I can do this, _Daniel thought, feeling somewhat more confident now. _Just two more ingredients and I can make the acid._

...

Please review! Hope it was good, and that I'll update soon (instead of, you know, _months later_). I've stopped at 3:09 on Part 4.


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